Legend has it that Ddeokjjim was created by a royal chef as a way for the king to eat beef without burdening his digestion. (Many kings suffered from indigestion apparently due to lack of exercise)
Whether this really was food of the kings or not, it is a tasty treat.

Instructions

1

Mix Marinade:
Mix all marinade ingredients together in a mixing bowl and let sit for 1/2 hour.

2Prepare the Ddeok:
If the ddeok has been refrigerated and is hard, steam slightly or soak in very warm to hot water until it softens.
Cut the rice-cakes (Ddeok) into 1 1/2 inch lengths.
With a sharp knife, carefully cut slits into opposite sides of each ddeok piece, being careful not to split the piece in half.

3Slice onion from top to bottom into roughly 1/4 inch thick slices.

4Place all sauce ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well.

5Place beef in Marinade and let sit for 1/2 hour.

6Remove beef and pine nuts from marinade.

7Carefully place 1 teaspoon of the beef and pine nuts into the slits in a piece of ddeok. Repeat until all pieces are “stuffed”.

8Par boil the watercress stems until just softened.
Tie one watercress stem around each end of the stuffed ddeok pieces.

9Heat a pan or skillet over medium to high heat.

10Place sliced onion in pan and cook for twenty to thirty seconds.

11Add sauce to pan.

12Gently add stuffed ddeok, then pour water into pan from one side, and reduce heat to low.

13Stir gently until all ddeok pieces are well coated with sauce.

14Cook at a slow simmer until the ddeok pieces turn a light golden color (about ten minutes), then remove from heat.

15Place the ddeok pieces onto a serving dish and pour the sauce from the pan over them.

16Serve warm.

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